You can opt out of Meta AI training to have a safer online experience. This is especially important if you're concerned about your personal data being used to train AI models.
To start, you'll need to navigate to Meta's privacy center and click on the "Manage Data Settings" button. From there, you can review and control how your data is used for Meta's AI training.
Opting out of Meta AI training can help prevent your personal data from being used to train AI models that may be used for advertising or other purposes.
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What's Changing?
Meta is expanding its AI to more regions, including a new and improved virtual assistant.
The company will start using your data for a new purpose beyond targeted advertising: to train and improve its artificial intelligence systems. This includes large language models like Llama 3.
Virtually everything you share on Facebook and Instagram is up for grabs, including posts, photos, captions, and messages sent to AI chatbots.
Opting Out of Meta's AI Training
If you're concerned about Meta's AI training, you can opt out, but it's not a straightforward process.
For European users, Meta added a complicated "opt-out" option, but it's only available after receiving notifications about privacy policy changes, which US users didn't receive.
To opt out, go to the Settings page on the Instagram or Facebook app, navigate to About > Privacy Policy, and look for a new section about Meta AI with a link to an opt-out form called "Right to object."
The opt-out form will prompt you to select your country of residence, input your email address, and explain how this processing impacts you. Under the GDPR, Meta will have to honor all opt-out requests, regardless of the reason.
However, for users in the US or other countries without national data privacy laws, there's no foolproof way to prevent Meta from using their data to train AI.
You can minimize the risk by setting your account settings to private, but this won't completely prevent Meta from using your data.
If you're serious about separating yourself from Meta's AI, consider deleting your Facebook or Instagram account – it's the only option that lets you completely remove yourself from their system.
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Meta Data Use for AI
Meta's use of user data for AI training is a complex issue. Users in the US or other countries without national data privacy laws have no foolproof way to prevent Meta from using their data.
In the US, there is no opt-out feature for people living in these places, making it difficult to prevent Meta from using their data. However, users can set their account settings to private to minimize the risk of their public social media posts being used for AI training.
Meta's spokesperson claims the company does not use the content of people's private messages to train AI, but public posts are fair game. Users can take steps to protect their data, but it's not a guarantee.
European users received notifications about privacy policy changes, but Meta added a complicated "opt-out" option instead of asking permission to use their data. The Irish Data Protection Commission and the UK's Information Commissioner's Office demanded Meta delay its plans until it could satisfy their concerns about users' privacy.
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To opt-out of Meta's AI training in the EU, follow these steps:
- Go to the Settings page on the Instagram or Facebook app.
- Navigate to About > Privacy Policy.
- Look for a new section about Meta AI, which includes a link to an opt-out form called “Right to object.”
- The form will prompt you to select your country of residence, input your email address, and explain how this processing impacts you.
Under the GDPR, Meta will have to honor all opt-out requests, regardless of the reason. Some experts recommend more extreme measures to achieve a total separation from Meta.
Shutting Down the AI
You can't completely turn off Meta AI, but you can mute it for a while.
On the Facebook mobile app, tap the search button and you'll get a prompt to "Ask Meta AI anything." From there, you can silence the chatbot for 15 minutes or longer, or until you change it.
Muting doesn't get rid of Meta AI completely. The circle logo might still appear where the search magnifying glass used to be, and tapping on it will take you to the Meta AI field.
One way to avoid Facebook's AI assistant is to use the social network's stripped-down mobile site, mbasic.facebook.com. It's aimed at people in developing countries using older phones on slower internet connections.
If you hate Meta AI that much, you can delete your Facebook or Instagram account. This is the only option that lets you actually remove it from your life as of this moment.
Can You
You can opt out of Meta AI training, but it's not a straightforward process. Meta AI's terms of service require you to agree to their data collection and usage policies.
You can't opt out of data collection entirely, but you can limit the data that's collected about you. Meta AI uses a combination of machine learning and human review to improve their AI models.
To opt out of Meta AI training, you'll need to review and adjust your account settings. This includes reviewing your Facebook settings, as Meta AI uses data from Facebook to train their AI models.
You can also delete your Facebook account, which will stop Meta AI from collecting data from you. However, this will also delete all your Facebook data and connections.
You can't opt out of Meta AI training if you're using a Meta AI-powered service, like Facebook or Instagram. These services use Meta AI's AI models to personalize your experience.
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If You Have a Facebook Account
The left-hand side of the Privacy center page has a drop-down menu labeled “How Meta uses information for generative AI models and features.” Click on that to proceed.
You'll need to scroll down and then click on “Right to object” to begin the opt-out process.
Fill in the form with your information, and explain how Meta's data processing affects you. I was successful by simply stating that I wished to exercise my right under data protection law to object to my personal data being processed.
You'll likely have to confirm your email address to complete the request.
You should soon receive both an email and a notification on your Facebook account confirming if your request has been successful. I received mine a minute after submitting the request.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How to get rid of ask Meta AI on Facebook?
To disable Meta AI chatbot on Facebook, log into your account, go to Settings, and toggle off the "Chat" or "Assistant" feature. This will help you regain control over your Facebook experience and reduce unwanted AI interactions.
How do I opt-out from AI Instagram?
To opt-out from Meta AI on Instagram, go to the Settings page, navigate to About > Privacy Policy, and look for the "Right to object" opt-out form. Click the link to submit your request and exercise your right to object to Meta AI processing.
Sources
- https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/06/14/1093789/how-to-opt-out-of-meta-ai-training/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-turn-off-meta-ai-facebook-instagram-mark-topps-bj1ye
- https://www.sprinterra.com/want-to-stop-facebook-and-instagram-from-using-your-data-for-ai-read-this/
- https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/how-to-opt-out-of-ai-online
- https://lifehacker.com/tech/opt-out-of-meta-instagram-and-facebook-ai-data-training
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